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jrtiger's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Child death, Suicide, Cannibalism, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Child death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Murder, and Vomit
Minor: Genocide and War
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is a story about a group of necromancers, each paired with a fighter, who are attempting to unlock the secrets of a complex that will allow them to ascend to semi-godhood. They are needed as the tools of a mighty god necrolord who is .. running out of minions (which could cause the end of the empire?). The plot flow runs like a party based RPG and the challenges feel a bit like a videogame. I was reminded of Portal more than once.
This book is a confluence of nerdinesses. The language was appealing to me because the author is a New Zealander (like me). Many of the quirky idioms are from my local Kiwi dialect and from internet memespeek, which meant that I was right at home with the queer parlance. There was even a "yeah nah" in there which made me chuckle, and, until now, I have never once heard of someone referred to in a novel as "a bit of a d*ck". As someone who is interested in anatomy, I found myself familiar with medical terminology that was liberally peppered through the book, and as someone who reads psychology books, I was also familiar with random gushes of pop-psychology neuroscience. This might make the book a little impenetrable or, just exotic? to some readers.
As far as the action in the story is concerned, combat flows like an action anime. There are rapier duels and magic duels and combos of the two. There are weird undead things and so much rot, bone, teeth, goo, viscera, flesh, blood, body parts.. unidentifiable liquids. Things jab and pierce and stick and gloop and spray. I was reminded of Akira, Elfen Lied, and Attack on Titan (and many other newer and less well known titles). The plot turns on a dime and the antagonists launch into expository monologues that reveal that you were completely in the dark in so many ways, but I don't hate it.
Also as in anime there are some .. kind of problematic moments that are pure "fanservice". The main character is continually eyeing-up and sexualising other characters, which comes across as funny, and also very gay, but also a bit eyerollingly cringe.
Wrap this all together with some deep lore, trauma-informed tragic backstory, a few (deliberately) disastrously toxic relationships, and some feels, and you get a recipe for a book that launches a fandom. Yeah, I'll read the others, even if parts of it are a hot mess and I don't actually enjoy all the fight-scenes and battles. The characters are fun and there is enough deliberately left unrevealed that I am intrigued to find out what comes next.
Graphic: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Grief, Medical trauma, Blood, Death, Medical content, Murder, Self harm, Death of parent, Cancer, Chronic illness, Gore, Violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Confinement, Cannibalism, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
no_u14's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Violence, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Murder, and Blood
alouette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
meanwhile, the character related aspects: while there was a really cool overall cast, the direction the author took with gideon's character and her relationship with harrow made me incredibly uncomfortable. a lot of gideon's POV is just her watching other people accomplish things or discuss things or be proactive, and the things that she accomplishes are often done at the behest of others. she was witty and brave, but felt like more of a commentator than a character.
and then the ending...
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
punkrobots's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, and Stalking
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, and Confinement
garciaga's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic relationship
peachprince's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Cancer, Death of parent, Body horror, and Suicidal thoughts
ritte_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Critique:
Personally, I wasn't too fond of the narrator voice, too snarky for my taste and keeping track of all the characters and titles might have been easier if their given names were used more frequently to describe them.
I'm not sure yet what to make of the other main character, Harrow, but I'm sure I'll find out in the next book.
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Child death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Slavery
ljausten05's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Moderate: Colonisation, War, Abandonment, and Confinement